Black-eyed Pea (restaurant)

History

Black-eyed Pea got its start in 1975, opened by Dallas restaurateur Gene Street and Phil Cobb. The chain grew across the American South, hitting 130 locations before being sold to Unigate plc for roughly $65 million. DenAmerica bought the chain from Unigate in early 1997. On November 12, 2001, DenAmerica—now called Phoenix Restaurant Group—filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which forced the closure of 48 Black-eyed Pea restaurants and left the chain with 44 locations, not counting the Colorado ones, whose owners were in better financial shape.

In 2002, new management rebranded the chain as a "country casual" concept, adding more appetizers, seafood, grilled items, and a stronger focus on the bar. In December 2008, former corporate employees Stephen Shaw and Alan Laughlin, along with Steve's brother Jim Shaw, bought the rights to all Colorado locations and started tweaking the menu and boosting advertising. The original Black-eyed Pea on Cedar Springs Road in Oak Lawn closed after 40 years on January 2, 2016.

On September 28, 2016, 12 of the 13 Texas restaurants shut down without much notice after a 2015 bankruptcy filing. In June 2019, the Hendersonville, Tennessee location closed after 18 years. Today, Black-eyed Pea has 9 locations: one in Texas, in Arlington, and eight in Colorado, most of them in the Denver area.

Did You Know?

• The signature dish is the namesake of the chain, black-eyed peas.
• The Dixie House, a related restaurant in the Lakewood area of east Dallas, was acquired by Black-eyed Pea and shared many menu items.
• The Dixie House received a mention in the 2008 Best Neighborhood Restaurant notices of D Magazine.